At least two killed in violence before Burundi election

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is standing for a third consecutive term in elections. PHOTO: africanarguments

At least one policeman and a civilian were killed in overnight violence before Burundi's presidential vote on Tuesday, a presidential official said, after blasts and gunfire echoed around the capital.

Presidential adviser Willy Nyamitwe blamed the opposition and those behind weeks of protests for the violence, putting the death toll at two. "People do it to intimidate voters. They don't want the voters to go to the polls," he told Reuters.